Sir George William Harriman
CBE
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations,
and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...
(3 March 1908 – 29 May 1973
) was a leading figure in the British motor industry in the 1960s.
Early life and education
Harriman was born in
Coventry
Coventry ( or ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city in the West Midlands (county), West Midlands, England. It is on the River Sherbourne. Coventry has been a large settlement for centuries, although it was not founded and given its ...
to George Harriman, a "Motor Machinist", and May Victoria (née Cooper).
Career
Morris Motors
In 1923 he was apprenticed at the
Hotchkiss works in Coventry of
Morris Motors Limited
Morris Motors Limited was a British privately owned motor vehicle manufacturing company formed in 1919 to take over the assets of William Morris's WRM Motors Limited and continue production of the same vehicles. By 1926 its production represen ...
.
[ He was promoted repeatedly, becoming assistant works superintendent with Morris in 1938.][
]
Austin Motor Company
In 1940 he joined Austin
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of Texas, as well as the seat and largest city of Travis County, with portions extending into Hays and Williamson counties. Incorporated on December 27, 1839, it is the 11th-most-populous city ...
, and by 1945 had become a director of that company.[ There followed a succession of promotions through the management of BMC,][ a car manufacturing conglomerate created from the merger in 1952 of the ]Morris
Morris may refer to:
Places
Australia
*St Morris, South Australia, place in South Australia
Canada
* Morris Township, Ontario, now part of the municipality of Morris-Turnberry
* Rural Municipality of Morris, Manitoba
** Morris, Manitob ...
and Austin
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of Texas, as well as the seat and largest city of Travis County, with portions extending into Hays and Williamson counties. Incorporated on December 27, 1839, it is the 11th-most-populous city ...
businesses.
British Motor Corporation
In 1961 he was appointed Chairman and Managing Director of the British Motor Corporation
The British Motor Corporation Limited (BMC) was a UK-based vehicle manufacturer, formed in early 1952 to give effect to an agreed merger of the Morris and Austin businesses.Morris-Austin Merger Company Named. ''The Times'', Friday, 29 February ...
having taken over many of the responsibilities of Leonard Lord
Leonard Percy Lord, 1st Baron Lambury KBE (15 November 1896 – 13 September 1967) was a captain of the British motor industry.
Background and education
Leonard Percy Lord was born on 16 November 1896 and was the youngest child in his family ...
some years earlier.[
]
Personal life
In addition to his business career, he was a noted rugby football
Rugby football is the collective name for the team sports of rugby union and rugby league.
Canadian football and, to a lesser extent, American football were once considered forms of rugby football, but are seldom now referred to as such. The ...
player, captaining the Coventry and Warwickshire teams in the 1930s, and playing briefly for the England team in 1933.[
He married Vera G Reynolds in 1936, but she died in 1954 aged just 42.] In 1957 his sister married his late wife's brother.
Honours
Harriman was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations,
and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...
(OBE) in 1943 and Commander of the Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations,
and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...
(CBE) in 1951.
He was knighted
A knight is a person granted an honorary title of knighthood by a head of state (including the Pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the Christian denomination, church or the country, especially in a military capacity. Knighthood ...
in 1965.
References
1908 births
1973 deaths
Knights Bachelor
Commanders of the Order of the British Empire
People from Coventry
20th-century English businesspeople
{{UK-business-bio-1900s-stub